Sudan Warns Window Closing in Nile Dam Dispute

Arab World

June 26th, 5:52am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A boat transports people along the river Nile in Cairo, Egypt July 2, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Sudan has joined Egypt in asking the UN Security Council to intervene in a dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, warning that the window for the three countries to reach an agreement “is closing by the hour.” Sudanese Foreign Minister Asmaa Mohammed Abdalla asked the council in a letter obtained Thursday by several news outlets to call on leaders of the three countries “to demonstrate their political will and commitment by resolving the few remaining issues and conclude an agreement” on the basis of the draft Sudan submitted June 14. Ethiopia announced last Friday that it would begin filling the dam’s reservoir in July after last week’s talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the dam will be filled and operated. Egypt formally asked the Security Council to intervene in a three-page letter the same day. The Egyptian letter asked the Council to call Ethiopia back into talks for a “fair and balanced solution,” and to urge it to refrain from unilateral acts. The government warned that filling the dam without a deal “constitutes a clear and present danger to Egypt,” with repercussions that “threaten international peace and security.” Filling GERD would potentially bring the years-long dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the $4.6 billion mega-project to a critical juncture, with some fearing it could escalate into military conflict. Ethiopia says the electricity that will be generated by the dam is crucial for bringing millions of its people out of poverty. With the start of the rainy season in July bringing more water to the Blue Nile, the Nile’s main tributary, Ethiopia wants to start filling the reservoir. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for more than 90 percent of its water supplies, fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account. Sudan, which also largely depends on the Nile for water, has been caught between the competing interests.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2355006/sudan-warns-window-closing-nile-dam-dispute